Disclaimer: This is a fan-based work of fiction. I make no claims of ownership to any of the copyrighted or intellectual properties contained therein. No money is made on this venture. This is not an official product. All ownership remains with the respective copyright holders.
This story went through significant re-editing in the month of May 2024 to clean things up and hopefully improve the overall quality of the story. Some chapters were merged and some were split apart in order to make a more consistent flow. Other minor changes have been made, but the bulk of the story remains the same. I lost the laptop with my notes, my draft of the next chapter and my story bible. I recently decided to kick myself in the pants and get this story finished, and so started by reading everything from start to finish. Two chapters in I decided that I also needed to clean the rest of this thing up in addition to finishing it.
This story is told non-linearly, and makes frequent use of shifting points of view through time, as befitting a story set in the Neon Genesis Evangelion universe. Generally, to signify a scene moving forwards in time or simultaneously to the previous scene, the scene break is Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!, and to signify a scene moving backwards in time, the scene break is Vier, Drei, Zwei, Eins!. There may be slight deviations from this where appropriate.
Finally, I would also like to thank everyone who has read this story and stuck with it over the years. I am humbled by the continued readership despite the long wait you have had to endure in between chapters. I would also like specifically to thank MoonishMan and Judicar Deimos. Both at different points helped as beta-readers and soundboards to this story, and it would not be as good as it is without their efforts.
I hope you enjoy the story.